In Bleak Midwinter

Chapter Fifteen

The telephone rang abruptly, interrupting any sense of conversation or thought. For a brief moment, everyone stared at one another waiting for someone to answer the call. There was no other noise aside from the ring.

Not really sure why there was any hesitation in the first place, Emily reached for the phone.
"Don't pick up that phone Emily" James quickly interrupted.
Emily looked at him blankly. "Why not?"
"Because I've never given the number for this house to anyone... the phones never rung before".
Everyone looked and one another again, unsure whether the noise would cease.
"Finn, from where you're standing, can you see a car parked outside still?" Tommy snapped, instantly sensing something was wrong.
"Yes... why?" Finn responded.
"James, where are your weapons kept?" Tommy turned, failing to answer Finn's question.
"Follow me" James quickly replied, leading Tommy into another room.

Also sensing danger, Emily hastily followed the two men, ordering Finn to take cover and hide.
"What is going on?" She snapped.
"Emily, hide yourself and do not come out until I tell you it's safe" Tommy ordered, raiding the weapon cupboard which James had allowed him to access. James had previously notified Tommy he was going to look for the rest of the weapon storage and had left the two alone.
"No. Tommy I want to help you" Emily cried.
Tommy turned and grabbed her arm. "Emily, I cannot afford to lose you and the baby. Find Finn and hide yourself. Do not come out" he now passionately ordered.
Emily was profoundly baffled at Tommy's comment regarding her baby; she was completely unaware that he knew of such news and she therefore concluded John must have let it slip.... Or that Tommy himself had figured it out. She didn't doubt that he was capable of figuring that out.

"Tell me what's going on" she argued, grabbing a gun from the shelf. Tommy stared frustratedly at her.

Suddenly, Tommy and Emily both simultaneously cocked their heads at the sounds of gunshots from outside. The glass then shattered and revealed various bullets which ricocheted around the room. They both ducked; Emily then cocked the gun she had picked up in response.
"Fuck!" Tommy shouted, "follow me and stay down!"
Emily continued to duck at the bullets as they ran through the house. Tommy shot at the men who were attacking but the bullets which ricocheted separated the two. Emily shot back with accuracy as she dodged each shot and ran in a different direction to Tommy; the last thing she wanted was to be separated from him, but ultimately the situation was beyond her control.

Emily could hear Tommy's steps and tried to follow them, but just as she thought she was closer, she carelessly ran in to the direct line of one of the attackers who shot ruthlessly at her. In attempts to swerve the shots, she was hit, blowing her to the ground and she crawled for cover. Emily cried out in pain; for some reason she watched her attacker look panicked and turn in the opposite direction to her, swiftly moving away. Emily attempted to hoist herself up the wall in hopes of gaining better cover incase of another attacker. She looked down temporarily at the blood which oozed from her body.

"Tommy!" She cried loudly in hopes he would hear her pain.

Tommy turned desperately around at the sound of her cries. He knew instantly she was in danger.
"Emily!? Emily where are you?" He screamed in a panic and immediate anger. Gunshots continued to shatter as Tommy ran up the stairs and attacked the men who were trying to kill him. He suddenly bumped into James who was taking cover from a group which Tommy brutally gunned down.

"Where the fuck is Emily?" Tommy gasped, hoisting James up from behind the table.
"I don't know? I thought she was with you?" James snapped.
"Fuck!" Tommy screamed out again, slamming his hands against the wall in anger.
Gunshots ceased momentarily, as though an audacious peace settlement had been implemented. However, this brief settlement was violently disrupted by another fire of bullets which reigned ambiguously around as another car pulled up.
Familiar voices were heard shouting from downstairs; Tommy instantly knew it was John and Arthur. He ran with James downstairs and greeted his brothers.

"Tommy what the fuck happened here? What have you been doing?" John gasped.
"Need to find Emily.... Find her!" Tommy cried out in stress, wiping the blood and sweat from his forehead.
Just in time, Finn ran into the room, covered in panic.
"I've found her Tommy! She's upstairs. She's been hit" Finn informed...